Pink Door

Dining dilemma: It's your birthday! Where can you  celebrate  that's fun, ntic and Italian.

Seattle.net solution: The Pink Door


Quick and Easy
Why go: The rooftop patio, the romantic yet festive dining room
Highlights: Cioppino, lasagna, great cocktails
Forewarning: Weekend reservations strongly advised; difficult to find (no sign)

Walking down the stairway that leads to the Pink Door will make you feel like you've stumbled upon a quirky private party. The two-story dining room of this one-of-a- kind  restaurant resembles the stage set for a charming haunted mansion, decorated with murals, ornate mirrors, mismatched silver candlesticks with dripping wax, and an elaborate chandelier. Surprisingly, it doesn't feel contrived, just eccentric and definitely authentic. Closely packed tables surround a tiled fountain in the middle of the room.

A bit garish during the day, the dining room is perfect after sundown or on a rainy winter night. If you're there on a Sunday evening, be forewarned that the Pink Door's trapeze lady may be swinging above your head!  But on a warm summer evening, nothing compares to the Pink Door's trellis covered rooftop patio, which looks out to Elliot Bay (it's also one of the best places in the Market for lunch).

Although the Pink Door's simple traditional Italian food isn't brilliant or inventive, it's well prepared and consistently good. The menu offers a nice selection of antipasti, including a terrific trio of crostini featuring fava bean puree, baby artichokes and fresh mushrooms. Another good choice is the tender  calamari sautéed with spinach, tomatoes and garlic. If you love gnocchi, be forewarned that the Pink Door's version is Roman style, not the traditional light potato dumplings. We were surprised by the two large semolina muffins served with a Gorgonzola cream sauce, toasted walnuts and spinach. To his credit, our friendly and professional server took it off the bill and confessed that people are often disappointed by that dish. Pink Door's salad selection features an outstanding Caesar salad with fennel-dusted croutons and a delicious combination of fresh beets, arugula, Gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts.
  
Served in an individual casserole dish, the luscious lasagna features fresh spinach pasta layered with creamy béchamel sauce, pesto and a zesty marinara. Fresh artichokes, parsley and garlic are tossed with spaghetti for a lighter pasta option. And you can't go wrong with Pink Door's linguini with fresh baby clams and pancetta simply tossed with garlic and parsley. You might consider sharing pasta as a first course and then ordering an entrée.  The cioppino features a generous portion of prawns, mussels, clams and calamari in a fragrant tomato and white wine broth. The menu also includes port scaloppini and a mixed grill of sweet Italian sausage, pork and chicken.

For dessert, don't miss the trio of crème brule (butterscotch, chocolate, hazelnut) artfully served in small individual coffee cups. Our waiter strongly recommended the Tuscan apple tort, which he said is not offered anywhere else in Seattle; there may be a reason—it was bland and topped with a glob of caramel sauce. The accompanying tiny pitcher of warm cream was cute, but didn't add much. The fabulous tiramisu is the perfect ending, especially with a cup of Pink Door's palatable coffee. 

Cost:
First courses: $6–12
Pasta: $14–17
Entrees: $19–25
Desserts: $6–8

Hours:
Monday–Saturday (lunch and dinner)
Sunday (dinner only)